subject: How to Deal With Difficult eBay Customers [print this page] Just as with any other type of selling, even on eBay you are going to happen upon demanding customers now and then. Most are very good people and easy to buy and sell with but here and there, you're going to find a customer who just seems to cause trouble. If you let your temper go and tell the person off, you could be losing just more than that one person as a customer. That one will doubtless leave bad feedback and could tell everyone in the world of eBay what a beastly merchant you are. Even if they are at fault, prospective buyers who see the feedback will most likely not take that chance. Your best bet is to terminate as many stumbling blocks as possible while maximizing the chance of having a smooth transaction.
One common problem on eBay is buyers sending you a message that tries to get you to lower your asking prices on an item. They'll say they see it in other auctions for less or they may even criticize your item in the hopes that you'll give in. The best way to deal with this is to take a deep breath instead of getting annoyed. Instead, respond by politely mentioning that you are unable to offer a lower price just now. You don't have to give a reason for that, but you can if you choose to.
Another thing that happens quite often is buyers who fail to check your auction listing for what methods of payment you'll accept and then they get uptight with you because you don't accept theirbest-liked pay type. You can do your part to cut down on thisproblem by making sure that your terms of payment are clearly stated in your ebay auction listing. Other than that, if a buyer asks for a different payment method, you'll have to decide if that is something you want to do or not. And if you don't, there is nothing wrong with politely telling the buyer that you cannot use the method they request.
From time to time you may encounter an auction winner who doesn't pay. In these cases it can be best to send them a friendly email advising them that you have no other option but to relist the item. Do not become rude at any stage: again, remember that they can always post nasty feedback thatmight affect your longterm success. Given time, you will find that dealing with difficult eBay customers takes humility and delicacy, but doing it well is an important key to your online auction success.
